Industry standard

Mechanical music in my head: Static is no longer static, fuzz can be freaky clean.

True, music can take the form of the times, and for decades, modern machinery has been able to rivet its way into the proxy part of our parents' four piece - vocals, guitar, bass, drums - classic rock zeppelin.

The spotlight can shine on Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor as he taps an over-stuffed iPod Touch with an index finger, triggering feel-alike samples that bring genuine music lovers to their safe places.

So is this the takeover Mike Patton spoke of back in '92 during the Angel Dust sessions? When asked what he hoped the future would hold for music, the Faith No More lead singer gave a cryptically applicable answer:

"I think it would be a good thing if computers just take over music [because] computers are a lot more messed up than people," Patton told In the Studio. "And the more messed up and farther away music gets from music, the better - the healthier it's gonna be for music."

So does this mean we are there? Can the thriving NIN performance in Hamilton, Ont. this past weekend symbolize some sort of avant-garde computer-age turnover?

I would argue yes, but not because Reznor used industrial, comp-trolled, black ice cream-churning machines to present his innovative product. We can't bow to computer instruments when they're being controlled by human creativity.

Let us, rather, admire the computer takeover in a different NIN context.

Since Reznor became record label-independent a little more than a year ago, he's kept his voice echoing with the Internet. Between his daily blogs and free downloadable album releases, Reznor has used communicative computer technology to be constantly expressive, and therefore, influential.

Releasing the downloadable The Slip at no cost in 2008 epitomized a gradual shift from industry-controlled musical servitude to artist-rendered plots for themselves.

If one thinks NIN is a little too niche to make this relevant, recall Radiohead pulling the same stunt with In Rainbows, allowing fans to name their own price for their music.

These artists have given a good old fashion ass-up to the corporate world with computers as their weapon - their slingshot, capable of launching balls of fire to anyone, anywhere.

But these musicians were already ultra-established. They're the only ones who've been afforded this anarchist luxury.

Wrong. Common folk can hop aboard as well.

Check out Ghostland Observatory. This Austin, Texas duo has fried audiences on grand scale amphitheatre tours and premier festival gigs. Why? Because they're signed to the omnipresent, corporate rock bully Trashy Moped Recordings? I don't think so.

No, these loons have just worked their tails off playing shows and have enough YouTube views for electro-dance fans to know frontman Aaron Behrens sings like a super freak and has moves like James Brown. They may not be selling millions of records, but with Internet cred, even a couple of industry no-names can rock a crowd.

And everyone benefits.

So while computers may be more messed up than people (did "stealing" music over the Internet ever feel much like stealing?), the takeover has to have been healthier for music.

The playing field is being rolled by the Internet and aerated by talent. And if we are talking about artistic expression -not dollars being stashed - the game is fair.